Why the Arrogant, Selfish Cowboy?
by nberes
Summary: Being shipwrecked on an isolated island, and starting a ranch is hard enough, but when a mysterious animal dealer shows up one day, Chelsea's world caves in. Will she be able to see beneath his rough outer surface to view the true man inside? CxV.
1. A New Beginning

**Disclaimer: I do not own harvest moon, or any of the characters in it.**

**Chapter 1- A New Beginning**

Chelsea

"All aboard for Flower-bud Village!" A man yelled from across the pier. *Sigh,* I can't believe I'm actually leaving the city. I guess it's for the best, but I can't help but miss my mum. I felt tears spring into my eyes. My mum passed away 3 weeks ago in a car accident when she was picking me up from work.

"Leaving in 5 minutes! All aboard for Flower-bud Village!" the man yells again. "Damn...Well; here goes nothing" I mutter to myself as I approach the boat. "One ticket please!" I say; the whole while trying not to wretch over the edge of the pier; watching the sea bringing back memories as I stepped onto the ramp. "Okay miss, that'll be 100G." I sigh as I hand over the money. I begin boarding the ship, but as I step onto the deck, my arm is grabbed and I'm turned to face the man again. I look at him questioningly, and he grumbles under his breath. "Sorry miss, but I have to ask you a few questions..." he trailed off, watching my face drop. I felt myself sigh again unconsciously, and wondered to myself. Boy was I sighing a lot lately! "Fine; go ahead" I finally replied.

"Alright, I need your name, age DOB and gender." I looked him in the eye, and saw mild discomfort in them. Well, serves him right for asking such a stupid question, I mean; he's already called me 'miss' how many times? Then again; I am dressed like a boy. You'll rarely ever see me in anything that isn't a type of pants. Wow. My life officially sucks!

"Umm...Okay..." I mumble. "My name's Chelsea, I'm 20 years old, my birthday is the 21st of winter, and I'm a female human being." I hope he got the message about how frustrated I was right now. "Thank you Miss. Sorry 'bout the inquisition; please enjoy the ride." He grumbled under his breath, eyeing me apologetically. I shrugged at him, and stepped onto the deck. As I looked around, I realised; this was either a very small ship, or the cabin area was bellow the water. Either way; it wasn't going to be an easy task to forget I was basically travelling in a bathtub across a huge body of water.

As I walked around the deck, I looked at the rivets and machinery that held the boat together, and counted the molluscs attached to the hull of the ship. We haven't even left yet, and I'm already dying of boredom...This is gonna be a long ride... As I explored the rest of the ship, I noticed a small family of 'pink' red heads, but that wasn't what caught my attention about them.

"ELLIOT! You're such a klutz!" A pink haired girl around my age yelled. "You're so useless and annoying!" She continued; pointing her finger at a guy who looked so similar to her, he could only have been her brother. He was reasonably tall; but not really 6 foot, had pink hair with a fringe that went to the edge of a very dorky pair of glasses. The first word that occurred to me was NERD!

As I assessed him from a distance, he turned around and saw me watching the argument, and blushed. "Umm...Hi! I'm Chelsea!" I said holding, holding my hand out to shake. "Hello...I'm Elliot, and this is my sister Natalie."

"We're moving to Flower-bud Village. What are you doing there?" Natalie asked curiously; glaring at me suspiciously. I have a feeling she's a straight forward person, and will say anything how it is; not as a pretence. She continued to eye me, slowly losing interest in the conversation. "I'm hoping to start up a ranch! I've wanted to do it since I was a kid, and I'm sick of the city!" I reply enthusiastically. I hope she takes this answer to heart, because she isn't getting the story behind the decision. Thankfully, she was satisfied with my answer, and believed me fully. So she's honest and strait forward; we are going to be awesome friends!

"Oh, you should meet my mum and Taro then!" She bubbled, looking at me eagerly while dragging me across the deck. "Taro used to run a ranch when he was young, and my mum runs a shipping business. We could ship your crops and stuff, and Taro could show you how everything works." She spoke with a glimmer in her eyes. I guess she had the same brainwave about me before. Besides, we were basically already best friends, so I decided to freak her out, and sweep her into a bear hug. "Awesome! Thank you!" I yelled; laughing at her face when she registered what had just happened. She ended up hugging me back though. I guess the situation could have been worse, I mean; I barely knew her, and here I was, giving her a hug. It was like we'd known each other forever! We are definitely going to be awesome friends!

"Humph" someone said. I turned around and saw an old man who had more hair in his eyebrows, than anywhere else on his actual head. "Taro!" Natalie yelled. "This is Chelsea, and she wants to be a rancher!"

"Now Natalie; is that any way to talk to your grandfather?" asked a beautiful pink haired woman who could only be Elliot and Natalie's mother. "I'm sorry if they've been a little overbearing on you!" She smiled. I tried to find a connection between Taro and Felicia, and to my amusement, found nothing. It's almost like she got all her physical attributes from her mother.

"Enough useless chatter; let's go eat dinner!" snapped Taro as he hobbled off towards the ship's deck cabin. "Come on; you too Chelsea!" he yelled at me as he continued walking; expecting me to follow.

"Come on; we can have 'proper' introductions over dinner when Taro's fed" Felicia smiled. She is possibly the nicest person I've ever met.

Before long, I'm seated at an octangular table between Natalie and Elliot; across from Felicia and Taro. "Hello, I'm Chelsea and I'm planning on starting a ranch in Flower-bud Village" I said, starting the main conversation.

Felicia smiled to me, and bowed her head in respect. "We're honoured that we could meet your acquaintance Chelsea! My name is Felicia, and this is my family; Taro, my father, and my children, Elliot and Natalie." I smile at everyone around the table, and thank them for being so kind to me. Soon the food arrives, and we begin eating.

"So Chelsea, why do you want to be a rancher?" Taro asks me between a spoonful of soup. Great; here come the hard and painful memories. "I've always wanted to live on a farm I guess, and grow crops and raise animals." I say while gulping my steaming porridge between words. "My mum grew up on a ranch, but she had to sell it to move to the city..." My throat chocked up with tears. Natalie noticed my discomfort, and changed the topic of conversation.

"Uh...It's okay gramps; I reckon that's a bit nosy. Besides, I bet you're pretty exhausted from being up all day..." she trailed off. I almost died of laughter at the look on Taro's face after she brought it up; priceless!

"Thanks for dinner today! I really enjoyed meeting you all, and I'll see you tomorrow!" I said as I stood up from the table. They all smiled up at me, and said goodnight. They are all really nice people.

As I slowly made my way to my room, I peered out of one of the tiny port holes lining the corridor, and saw a flash of light. I felt my stomach drop at the thought of being at sea in the middle of a storm. I found it physically harder to get to my room. My stomach continued to churn as the waves became rougher and larger. I crawled to my room to avoid becoming nauseous. Once I reached the door, I slammed and locked it behind me. I lay down on the blue bed in the centre of the room, and tried to calm my heartbeat as the storm became worse.

The lightning became louder and more frequent, and the rocking ship began to twirl in the waves. I heard a deafening crash, and jumped to my feet. I heard people shouting and running in the corridor outside my room. I took that as a notice to get out of the room. I grabbed my backpack and ran into the corridor; getting pushed and yelled at until I made it onto the deck. The ocean spray swirled violently above my head.

"Chelsea! Over here!" I heard someone call my name. I whipped my head around, and saw Taro's family getting into a lifeboat, and started running towards them. It was the last thing I saw before I blacked out...

**A/N**

**Hi! Sorry about taking the story down before, but I forgot the Disclaimer, and so, I have to repost the story. It should be updated fortnightly, and it's due to be a long story, so enjoy!**


	2. A New Life

**Disclaimer: I do not own harvest moon, or any of the characters in it.**

This chapter's an apology to readers for deleting the previous chapter. Enjoy the quick update!

**Chapter 2- A New Life**

Chelsea

"Uh..." I groan through semiconsciousness. My body stings as I struggle to move.

"Mum! Taro! She's awake!" I hear a pink haired girl say. Wait; what happened? Where am I? What am I doing here? And why do I feel so sore all over?

"Come on! Get up! We aren't getting anything done here if we don't get off our backsides!" Taro yelled from the other side of a beach. Wait, I can remember! The girl is Natalie, and she has a nerdy brother called Elliot, and their mother's name's Felicia. I must have concussed or something. That would explain a lot of things, including why I feel like I just swallowed a giant bag of salt. Details are still lost in my mind, but they're starting to click back together. Either way, I'd like to get some answers.

"Taro!" I yell as loud as I can; my throat burning with thirst. "What happened? Where are we?"

"From what I can gather," he grunted "We're on one of the Harvest Isle's; long ago abandoned by people," he finished; not answering my first question. The one thing I hate the most is when you want to know something, and you can't find an answer.

"What happened?" I repeat. Taro sighs, and looks out at the calm, blue ocean. "The ship was struck by lightning, and it sunk. You and my family are the only known survivors" he whispered, watching the wave's crash against the shore. "As you can see, Elliot and Felicia have gone to gather as much supplies possible before it gets dark. They'll be back any moment now..." he trailed off, looking in the distance at an entrance that I presume leads to the town.

"Mum! Elliot! What took you so long!" Natalie screeched as she ran up to them, and took some of the materials into her hands. I noticed her glare at Elliot's near-bare hands, and initiate her infuriating sibling rivalry sequence.

"Why aren't you carrying much lumber, Elliot? Why did it take so long to find such a miniscule amount!" Taro screamed at his grandson, while his face turned a bright shade of pink. I noticed Taro's voice had an edge to it, and I could tell he was close to snapping from frustration.

"Well I sort of...explored the area; to get an idea of what was around before the island was abandoned" Elliot breathed, gaining confidence with every word. "I saw heaps of wooden, dirty shacks, but most of them still have heaps of stuff inside, like furniture and long life food..." he concluded nervously, surprisingly. He must have known what was coming, because he instantly took a step back from Taro, and flushed a full shade of red.

"Are you stupid!" Taro screamed at his son, making me feel awkward by being there, but then again, I couldn't exactly leave. Otherwise, it would be my ear Taro would be chewing off! "You could have been attacked by an animal or gotten lost! What were you thinking!" he finished, glaring at his son accusingly.

"Hush now father, I helped!" Felicia said as she stepped in and held her hands out to both men. She continued in a soothing, melodic voice; "We saw an easily fixable house that we could stay in, and a ranch up North, past the town" she continued easily. This was working out perfectly; we were going to have a place to stay for the night where we could be warm, dry and protected from wild animals.

"It's very large, and has a quaint home on the property. Like the other house's on the Island, it has some long life food, and surprisingly, is the most furnished property on the island" Elliot continued on from his mother, looking directly at me.

"It even has room for a barn and chicken coop!" Felicia finished, smiling at me. It was then that it clicked for me; they were going to stay here, for the rest of their lives, and they were asking me to as well...

"That is quite interesting, eh Chelsea?" Taro smirked; thinking to myself. Oh my goodness... what did I do to mess up my lie so badly? "Well, let's go take a look, shall we?" he asked as he dashed to what I presume is the town area. Who knew an old man could run so fast? I hurriedly followed while Natalie, Felicia and Elliot continued scavenging and salvaging materials to use in the repairs of their new home.

As I approached the town, I smelled grass and wind. It was really weird; I never thought the wind would have a scent; it smelled like rain, pollen and cold. It was refreshing. I followed an old pathway to where I assume North is; I have an inner compass. It's weird, but it works. I saw around half a dozen of what Elliot and Felicia called shacks; old, worn, rusted and partially rotten buildings. Some were worse than others, but the best one was still far from perfect.

I continued north, and found Taro at another entrance to another area. I looked at him questioningly, and he continued walking through the entrance. I followed him, and looked around me in amazement. Before me stood an enormous field, with crystal clear river to the west, and several spaces of land where things could be built. There was a stable close to the entrance, and a house with a red roof to the east. It was breathtakingly beautiful.

I found myself thinking about what I could do here, and pleased myself with the prospect of succeeding in a life here. "I know that look!" Taro exclaimed with a twinge of pride in his voice. "Every good rancher gets it when they see a worthy piece of land; you see potential in it!" he concluded smartly, eyeing me with a smile on his face.

"Yeah, I love it!" I agree, with joy and hope mixed into my voice. I feel myself smiling as I continue. "There's room for everything here, and the house doesn't look that bad!" I reply optimistically.

"So, what do you say, Chelsea?" Taro asked me, expecting good news. "Would you like to become the islands new rancher?" he questioned; watching me thoughtfully. "We could still comply with our previous agreements; my family could ship all of your goods" he continued enthusiastically, watching the smile on my face grow. "And we could call in a few favours, and get a few shops running up here!" he finished.

The words sunk in, and the reality of the situation hit me. This Island needs me; this family needs me. I can feel it in my heart; I feel like I belong here. This is the perfect opportunity to follow my dreams, and it's here; basically on a silver platter with my name on it. How can I not take it? Is there really a point to thinking about my answer?

"YES! Oh my goddess Taro! Of course I'll take it!" I screamed; pulling the old man into a break neck hug. He was probably shocked, because he didn't push away immediately, but when he did, he choked out a few words.

"Easy there Missy!" he gasped; trying to get his breath back. "I'll teach you the basics to everything here on the ranch, but something tells me you'll be fine!" he smiled. I felt my heart racing in my chest with excitement.

"Really? You'd do that for me Taro!" I gasped. "I know it's going to be a lot of hard work, but I know it'll be worth it." His grin grew even wider, and he gave out a small chuckle.

"It's no problem Chelsea. Besides, by the end of the season, you'll be a natural!" he continued, his eyes growing hazy as he looked west across the river. "I used to be a rancher; back in the day. I'll give you a hand and answer any questions you may ask. I'll also tell you the weather forecast when you come and visit" he finished off, looking me in the eyes with a happy grin; remembering good memories.

This guy really can do everything! "Anyway, I better go and start fixing up my home with my family. We salvaged a radio from the ship, and contacted the mainland while you were unconscious. We were going to stay here regardless of your answer, so I got some of my friends to set up shop in town. They'll be here tomorrow, so be up nice and early!" He yelled over his shoulder as he left my ranch.

My ranch. The words burned into my mind as I set off towards my new home. Wow. This place is even bigger than it looks! As I walk towards the building, I take in the expanse of the field. I hope that one day I'll be able to fill it up with crops, but it's going to take a long time. I could never have been able to buy a plot of land like this back at Flower-bud Village, and build a house.

I feel my memories go over my life from the last few years, and I realise something. Life right now rules! I can't believe my luck! I almost died on a shipwreck, and now I'm the new owner of a massive ranch! What are the chances? Even when my mum was alive, life was pretty suckish; we lived out of a tiny apartment, she was raped by a guy; from whom I was the evil spawn of, and all of her dreams fell apart. Her whole life was ruined by me; she had a good job as a lawyer, her family loved her. When she got raped, her family disowned her; she got fired from her job. The worst part was; I looked like my father.

My hazel hair, my ocean-blue eyes, the curve of my nose. The only thing that made me similar to my mother was my height; we were both around 5'3. Very midgety for a grown woman. I felt my face scrunch up at the thought. I don't want to revisit these memories ever again.

It's at this point I realise I'm at the door. I reach for the handle, and find it unlocked surprisingly. I push the door open to see a 'welcome' door mat. That was the last thing I expected to see here! It brings up a giggle as I step inside. The house consists of two rooms; the living area, and the bathroom. In the living area is an old phone, a bin, a table with two chairs, a book case, kitchen bench and a single bed. The bathroom has a small tub with a toilet. It's not much, but it's more than I was expecting.

Surprisingly, I love it! It's just like me; plain and simple. I keep smiling as I lay in my new bed, thinking of how the Island is growing so quickly already.

*Knock, Knock, Knock*

"Morning Chelsea! Got some people here to meet you!" I heard Taro yell through the front door. I always knew waking up at 6am wouldn't be easy, but I didn't think it'd actually make me miss my old life...wow...

My favourite and most practical work outfit was on my book case. It consists of a pair of knee length faded jeans, a yellow t shirt, an orange vest and my red bandana. I reached for it, and found it to be clean, ironed and folded. I wonder who could have done it. It was probably Felicia, but she wouldn't have just come in without waking me. I'll have to ask later...

"You done yet? These people can't wait forever Chelsea!" Taro snapped as I reached for the door. I considered making him wait, but he would have left so there isn't much of a point to that.

I opened the door to find Taro and five perfect strangers staring eagerly at me. "Oh! Hello everyone! I'm Chelsea; the Island's soon-to-be rancher!" I said adorably to calm Taro down. It mildly worked surprisingly.

"Yes well, Chelsea, these are the shop keepers and their families. This is Gannon..." He said pointing to a very built up man with huge muscles and a large toothy grin. "...Chen and his son Charlie..." he continued, gesturing at two oriental dressed men; a man and a child. "...And these two ladies over here are Mirabelle and Julia" he finished, looking very pleased with himself.

"Gannon here runs a carpentry business" wow; he looks more built up for boxing rather than carpentry. That's still cool though! "Chen and Charlie are going to set up a general store, where you can buy all your seeds and other necessities from" I looked over at Chen and Charlie, and found it very amusing. Charlie was dressed just like his father, but neither was very tall. Charlie couldn't have been more than 12. "Mirabelle and Julia are going to start off a livestock business where you can buy your animals and anything you may need for them" Taro finished. He was smirking at how perfect things turned out; no doubt. I can't explain it, but I feel like this Island is just one big family; everyone knows each other, and everyone cares.

"Well, I best be going, but I'll be back to help you later Chelsea!" Taro yelled over his shoulder as he left the ranch. Was he ever going to learn how to say goodbye in person?

"Hello" Gannon grunted to me. "It's great to meet you! I'm the new carpenter around here, so yeah, if you ever need help with anything or need to buy some tools, come let me know. Okay? See you!" he finished, before giving me a heartfelt toothy grin and heading back towards the town. It suddenly clicked for me that Gannon was just a gentle giant! "Oh, Chelsea! By the way, I broke a boulder to the East of town for stone, so if you want to check it out!" he yelled in his booming, burly voice from across the ranch, and I couldn't help but smile.

I turned to face the other store owners and receive another formal introduction. "Hello Chelsea. My name is Chen, and I'm a Chinese merchant. I'll be setting up a store where you can buy whatever you need for your farm; anything from seeds to furniture. My son, Charlie, can also make your tools stronger should you give him the right materials!" he said smiling adoringly at his son, and I couldn't help but also smile at Charlie's likeness to his father; they wore the same clothing, same facial expressions, same body structures; it's like looking at a 10 year old version of Chen! "Well, we must go catch up to Gannon and arrange the blueprints for our store, but it was very nice to meet you Chelsea!" Chen concluded, and bowed with respect. I returned the gesture and looked to the last new arrivals.

They smiled at me with shining wavy blonde hair, and huge, beautiful sky-blue eyes, and spoke. "Hi! I'm Julia! I bet we're going to be best friends!" screamed an energetic, overenthusiastic, tall blonde girl around my age. I look at her face, and it reminds me of when I was a little kid; everyone smiled when you were happy. Julia's smile is contagious, and I can't help but grin back at her.

"Hi Julia! I'm Chelsea, and I reckon we're going to be awesome friends!" I screamed right back at her, while she pulled me into a bear hug. I feel the muscles in my face tiring from smiling such big smiles after so long without smiling.

"Hello dear! I'm Mirabelle, and as you can see, my daughter Julia. We've come to the Island to set up an animal shop where you can buy anything and everything you need for livestock on a farm!" a short, round woman said. She may be short, but she's really strong; I can feel the muscles in my hand straining against the brute force of her hand shake. I compare Mirabelle and Julia, and find Julia to be exactly like her mother, only taller, younger and thinner.

"It's great to meet you Chelsea! We can't wait until this Island is built up and flourishing again! Oh, and by the way; my nephew will be arriving on the Island later today. He's taken the position as the new animal dealer, but he'll only be here on Wednesdays and Thursdays. He's coming early today to help design the blueprints for our new store, but you should meet him!" Mirabelle said slyly, like there was some information that I should know, but I don't. "Well, we must be going, but we'll see you soon Chelsea!" Julia and Mirabelle said as they hugged me goodbye.

I didn't have long until Taro came back, so I decided to eat some breakfast. The problem was, when I arrived in the kitchen, there was no source of food to be found. That sucks! I'm starved, and I can't even eat a little meal! Right now, I'd eat anything.

*Knock, Knock, Knock*

"Chelsea! It's Taro! Can I come in?" I heard Taro yell on the other side of the door. I walked to the door and opened it for the old man, only to see him carrying armfuls of colourful grasses. "Thank you Chelsea! Well, eat up!" he said pointedly. What am I supposed to do? Eat the grass? I stare questioningly at Taro, and he sighs and picks up a yellow grass, and eats it in front of me.

"Is it safe?" I ask him. He chuckles and mumbles out a few words. "It brings up your stamina and fullness. If you're ever hungry around town or anywhere, look out for grasses. They'll fill you up good!" he grunted. Why not; I said I'd eat anything, didn't I?

I took up a light blue grass, and stuffed it in my mouth. It smelled like cotton candy, but it tasted like peaches. It was actually pretty good. I finished the rest of the grasses off, and turned back to Taro, who was waiting by the door. He had several tools with him; a hoe, hammer, axe, watering can and scythe. "These tools, Chelsea, are for you. You're going to need them to run a successful ranch, so you may as well get them now" Taro said proudly; holding them out for me. I took them with tears in my eyes.

"Thank you, Taro! You don't know how much this means to me!" I cried into his shirt as I hugged him. "Relax Chelsea, you need them. Besides; I came over to teach you how to use them!" Taro smiled. We went outside, and I spent the rest of the day clearing and planting out my field. Taro was long gone before the sun went down. I worked until I almost collapsed; constantly eating coloured grasses.

The world around me was extremely dark when I finally stepped into my house. My hands were covered with blistered and cut, and my legs were covered in bruises. I trudged into my bathroom, and took a long bath in cold water. The sad thing is, there was no towel; I had to dry myself with a mat that sat conveniently between the door and the bathtub. It could have been worse.

I got changed, and was about to go see Natalie and Julia, when someone knocked at the door. "Coming!" I yelled across the room to whoever was at the door. When I reached the door, I felt a tingling feeling at the bottom of my stomach. I don't know what it is, but I feel nervous to open the door. It turns out; my gut instinct was right; I shouldn't have.

As I opened the door, I came to see a wide pair of amethyst eyes...


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own harvest moon, or any of the characters in it.**

**Chapter 3-The Eternally Frustrating Cowboy**

Chelsea

Oh. My. God.

Well, this is awkward; I'm standing in front of a guy; quite possibly the hottest one I've ever seen, and I'm gaping at him like some kind of retarded gold fish. Well, Chelsea; you aren't mentally handicapped at all!

I feel my face getting redder by the second. "Uh..." I stutter out. The dude smirks at my apparent incompetence, and introduces himself.

"Name's Vaughn. I'm the new animal dealer" He snickers. I feel my eyes widen, and my breath catch in my throat. Shouldn't I be introducing myself right now? I manage to stutter out a few words, but I feel my voice shake. "Uh...my name's...Chelsea!" I say, suddenly remembering my name. My memories' slowly returning; like a puzzle desperately piecing back together at a dementedly slow pace. Wow; I never believed such a hot guy would grace my actual home before. I guess I'm just one of those sad people who grew up without a single relationship.

My eyes are suddenly locked on his, and he lifts his hand up. It's only then that I notice a black Stetson cowboy hat! It looks authentic; real expensive. He pulls it down to cover his eyes, and most of his face. Just as soon as I was beginning to get some emotion out of him, he had to hide it. That's just great!

"What are you staring at!" he asked quietly, with a growl in his voice. His hat shaded his face, but I still saw his eyes when I looked under the brim. "I'm looking at your eyes..." I reply uncertainly, watching his face as he lightly flushes, and pulls his hat down. "They look so different..." I continue with a sort of confidence. He suddenly snaps back at me, and stares into me so intensely, I shake.

"Back off! Don't talk to me, if you know what's good for you!" he warned, holding his gloved hand at eye level; fingertips bare. We just stood there for a few seconds; me shaking uncontrollably, and him glaring at me with an emotionless face.

He suddenly broke his glare, and walked out, slamming the door in his wake. I continued to stand there; just looking at the door._ What happened? What caused it? Why did it happen to me?_ These thoughts continued to swirl around my head as I got changed again, and went to bed.

I woke in the morning to two screaming people jumping on me. Pink-red and blonde hair was flying everywhere, and limbs were hitting every point of my body. "OKAY! I'M UP!" I yelled out to my attackers, only to be swept out of bed, facing a pair of blue and brown eyes.

"NATALIE! JULIA! What are you doing in my house!" I yell at them with all the hurt and surprise mixed into my voice. Why would they do this to me? Their best friend!

"You forgot about us!" Natalie giggled uncontrollably. "We couldn't help but take this awesome opportunity for you to make it up to us!" Julia continued for Natalie; both girls gasping for breath post their massive laughing fits.

I help them to their feet, and ask them if they're okay. They're still really dizzy, and wonky on their feet, but I reckon they'll be fine.

"Well" Julia said over a cup of hot chocolate. "Vaughn came home yesterday in a pretty weird mood...what happened?" she asked. What am I supposed to say? I freaked him out by my stupidness?

"I've got no idea, Julia, but whatever happened couldn't have shaken him badly. He came here like Mr Confident, and left by slamming the door in my face. I don't even know what I did to deserve it, but it annoyed the hell out of me. It still is!" I rant.

Julia and Natalie stare at each other, and break out in laughter. "What?" I ask them. They are really starting to creep me out! "Someone has a crush!" they yelled in unison. Oh no... This is not happening to me.

Why me of all people, to be stuck on an isolated island, with two major gossips as my best friends. Sure nothing wrong with that, unless you have something to hide! "STOP! I do NOT like the guy!" I yell to break up the chatter. This is really going to get annoying!

"Look guys; I need to get some work done today, so how about I meet you at the dock at around 2pm?" I asked with a smile. They looked happy; at least they were going to get answers. They enthusiastically agreed to meet me there, and promised me that they would kill me personally if I ditched them again.

I watched them leave my ranch, and then began working. I watered my plants from 9 until 11, and then worked on clearing my field. Even though I cleared ¼ of it yesterday, it was now almost fully saturated with weeds and branches. _Well; now to work to my death!_

I was hot, sweaty and tired when I dragged myself from my field to my house. It's only 1'o'clock, but I feel like I could fall asleep right now. I stepped inside, ad walked myself to the bathroom to take a cold, refreshing bath. _Life's just great, isn't it?_ I went through my regular bath-time process, and got changed into clean clothes.

As I walked onto the beach, I heard two girly voices screaming at each other, and I decided to investigate. "Julia! She said the dock! Not the boulder!" I heard Natalie screech. "NO! She said the rock! There's a difference!" I watched Julia point a finger at Natalie. "If you were listening properly, you would have heard it too!" She continued. I swear I saw Natalie steaming. I reckon it's about time I stepped in...

"Hey guys! The beach is the beach, isn't it!" I laughed at the shocked expressions on their faces. "Chels! Why are you so late!" They yelled in unison. I continued laughing, and pointed out the obvious; just for the sake of it.

"I'm not late, you're just super early!" I said as I hugged them. They laughed, because it looked like a little kid hugging older sisters or something. My height is not a great thing here... I look like an even bigger midget now that there aren't as many people here.

"So, what happened between you and my cousin, Chels!" Julia asked again, curiosity burning in her eyes. "Well, he came over and..." I explained the whole thing from my point of view; no left-out details.

"Chels, what do you think of my cousin?" Julia asked tenderly as she hugged me. I'd somehow let out a few traitorous tears during my recount of events with Vaughn. "I...don't know...Julia..." I mumbled. "It's not like I know him that well..." I sniffled. The tears flowed freely now. I don't know why I'm so emotional over such a guy.

"Just speak from your heart Chels!" She said encouragingly. Well, things can't get any worse. "Vaughn...I think he's hot; he was adorable in the way he hid his emotions with his hat, but it was also really annoying" I rant, feeling heat building in my face. My heart starts burning with passion as I continue; "He's caring underneath! He just needs someone to talk to. He's been through a lot; I can tell" I continue; standing up as my words took control of me. "And I want to help." I finish simply, turning to stare at Julia and Natalie, only to turn around and gasp in shock.

You know how I said things couldn't get any worse; well, they did. The cowboy himself was staring at me with open eyes from across the beach; and I know, he had heard everything.

My mind took control of my body, and I ran off to my ranch. I heard footsteps behind me, but I couldn't slow down. They ceased as I ran into my house. I locked the door, and lay down in bed. I soon fell asleep to the cries of wild animals.

A week's passed since then. I worked as per usual; water the crops, clear the field, speak to Taro and Felicia. I generally avoided going into town on weekdays in case I'd run into him, but the chances of that were probably pretty slim, since he was probably avoiding me too, but just in case. Julia's been hanging around with him on the days he's here, so that's two days I can't hang around with her, and Natalie is normally busy with the work Taro gives her. It makes socializing on this island so much more 'chore-like'.

Because of all my hard work in the last week, I can now afford a chicken coop. I was talking to Gannon about it, and he said it would be done by tomorrow, which is pretty awesome if you ask me. Natalie asked me why I didn't want a barn or something bigger and more useful, and I told her; "right now, I can't deal with too much work. When I feel better again, I'll aim higher, OK!" I snapped at her. She looked sorry, but I wouldn't hear it. Julia has barely spoken to me all week, and now I'm severely under-socialised.

I woke up the next morning and got the message from Gannon that my new chicken coop was finished. I'm really happy that I can now call this place a ranch; not just a farm. Well, I can once I get a chicken anyway. Today is harvest day all over again; it's my third batch of turnips for the season. That means a serious cash flow. I felt myself smile at the idea. I don't personally care about money, but it's good to have when you need something.

I dumped all of the turnips into Taro's shipping bin, and went to visit the old man and his family. I knocked on the door, and found it to be answered by a short, blonde, childish male. "Oh...hello; I don't believe we've met!" the short, baby-faced man said. "I'm Pier; one of the gourmets, and I'm moving to the island!" he smiled eagerly. His whole face lit up, and I laughed. He joined in, and we ended up on the floor next to each other. I saw a flash of black by the window, but I didn't care to notice it. I was rolling around on a floor, without a care in the world...

Vaughn

This is the last straw. _Julia can't keep me from seeing her anymore; she doesn't understand the circumstances...wait. Do I care about the farmer? I don't think so. Why would I? She's just another weird person you'll never understand._ I felt myself sigh at that. I remembered that day; just over a week ago, when I walked in on her speech on the beach...

*Flashback*

"Vaughn...I think he's hot; he was adorable in the way he hid his emotions with his hat, but it was also really annoying" she spoke with clear sentences. It was like she knew everything; she just never expected to say it out loud. "He's caring underneath! He just needs someone to talk to. He's been through a lot; I can tell" she continued. How would she know what I've been through? From what I've heard about her, she's constantly happy, and doesn't let anything bring her down. "And I want to help." She finished simply turning to stare at Julia and Natalie, and finding me staring at her. She was so shocked, she ran back to her ranch in a heartbeat. I tried to follow her, but Julia stopped me at her ranch and scolded me.

She was how the week began and ended, and that's what draws me back...

*End Flashback*

Sigh. Well, going over old memories isn't going to help; it never has, and it never will. I turn back to the old man's house, and see her exiting and walking towards Mirabelle's shop. What a perfect opportunity...

Chelsea

Meeting Pier was pretty cool! He's over enthusiastic about cooking, but I can tell he has eyes for Natalie. I'm glad someone likes her; Julia never stops talking about Elliot anymore, and I'm apparently obsessed with Vaughn, so it's good that Natalie has a chance.

I'm on the way to Mirabelle's shop to buy a chick, when I spot a movement out of the corner of my eye. I refuse to take notice of it. If it was who I thought it was; he was dead meat. I realised I was on Mirabelle's doorstep, and scolded myself for not noticing the close proximity of the door. If anyone had noticed, I would have probably looked like a psychopath; what with staring into a door and mumbling to myself. I finally snapped out of my dazed expression, and knocked on it.

I was about to open it, when it was pulled forward by a surprisingly smug aggravating cowboy. Wow; my day keeps getting better. "Whatcha doin' here!" he asked in an underlying tone. I couldn't put my finger on it, but it had some sort of double meaning. Somehow I ended up staring at his eyes again, and he stared right back into mine. It made a tingle cross my spine, making it almost unbearable to move.

I lowered my eyes and tried to move past him, but he grabbed my wrist, and stepped in front of me. Altogether; it was very aggravating. "Get the hell off me!" I growl out, and I see a spark light in his eyes. It surprises me so much that I lower my guard. He pulls my face so it's eye level with his, and he locks my gaze with his.

I close my eyes so I don't have to put up with him anymore. Just as I feel his breath on my face, I hear a door slam behind me.

"VAUGHN! What do you think you're DOING!" I hear Mirabelle scream. I take the chance to push myself away from Vaughn, and rush inside. I close the door behind me, but I still hear the muffled voices on the other side. I feel frustrated with myself for allowing my body to be manipulated by such a jerk. What was I thinking? _You weren't thinking Chelsea! You were hoping he would kiss you!" _a little voice screamed inside my head. No. Way. I was NOT falling for that arrogant, selfish, standoffish cowboy. I just wanted to be his friend. _Why do you feel it's YOUR job Chelsea? Why can't another girl have a shot?_ The voice continued. This is really weird; a separate voice is inside my head. Maybe it's my intuition, but it's still freaky.

I sit myself on a seat next to Mirabelle's counter, and wait for the short woman to return from her punishment dealing. I started daydreaming about chickens for a while. A few minutes later, I heard the door open, and two pairs of feet come in; one muffled and frequent, the other a loud, clear 'clomp'. Why anyone would want boots like that is beyond me.

"Hello Chelsea! Sorry about that dear; Vaughn has something he wants to say…" She glared pointedly at the cowboy, making him grumble at his feet. "Sorry." He mumbled with a growl. I sighed and responded as nicely as I could. "You'll stay away from me, when you're in your moods. K?" I said. I couldn't help the question at the end; I didn't want him to back off completely, but I want personal space. I mean, we're not even friends yet, and he's changing my mind with a flick of his wrist. I hate that damn cowboy.

He snickered, and went to stand in his corner of the store. It's basically labelled; 'Vaughn's corner; cross the line and you're dead'. It's entertaining to watch him grimace at nothing in particular, because I know with Mirabelle here, he can't pull anything, so I should be fine.

"Yes well, I'm so sorry about his rude behaviour; he's generally very quiet…" She continued, staring pointedly at Vaughn again. He chuckled under his breath, but made no move to approach us.

"So dear! How can I help you today?" Mirabelle continued, as if nothing had happened. "I'd like to buy a chick please Mirabelle!" I told her, smiling. "Gannon just told me he finished building my chicken coop!" i finished, literally glowing with pride about my achievement. I was feeling kind of lonely on the ranch, so this was my chance to have a new friend.

"Of course, Chelsea! Congratulations!" Mirabelle yelled as she pulled me into a bear hug. She's like a mother to me, just like Felicia, so I hug her back almost as eagerly. "I'm so proud of you dear! Vaughn!" she looks up suddenly to call the cowboy over. I hadn't even realised he'd left the room. He came back with a slight cut to his gaze.

"Yes aunt Mirabelle." He replied calmly, whispering across the room. His face was expressionless again, so I couldn't read what he was thinking, but if I had to say anything, it would be calculating.

"Take Chelsea to see the chicks! And don't bother pulling out your wallet Chels; this one's on the house!" Mirabelle said while smiling. Her tone proved she wasn't changing her mind, so I may as well go along with it. I felt tear of joy form in my eyes from such a caring gesture. It came at a price to her, but she was doing it anyway.

"Thank you so much!" I ran up to her, and began sobbing on her shoulder. It was a good feeling to be cared about; one I hadn't much experience with. I felt her stroke my hair, and then I heard a much muted "humph" from the other side of the room.

I turned to glare at the silver haired cowboy, and saw an amused glint in his eyes. I met his stare with a challenge, and approached him. "What? You want a hug too!" I asked mischievously, challenging him unconsciously. His eyes widened in shock, and his face gained a rose coloured blush. I could have died from the amount of amusement I felt at that moment; that I could the antisocial cowboy blush from such a snide comment. It's weird though, because guys laugh it off it means nothing to them, but Vaughn's not counteracting my statement; just scowling at the floor. Once again; weird.

Mirabelle chuckled at his expression, and left the room, but not before offering a light comment to help him snap out of it. "Come on Vaughn! Chelsea can't stand there waiting for you!" Does that mean what I think it does? It couldn't; she doesn't know how I feel about Vaughn, because I don't know how I feel.

I feel myself sigh, and then hear Vaughn's head snap up at it. I see a curiosity behind his burning, amethyst eyes, but I ignore it. He gestures with his hand for me to follow him as he walks down the same hallway Mirabelle went down. I follow almost hypnotically. I don't know what it is about him, but I feel safe and warm. It's not natural; that's for sure. Maybe I'm crazy, but I'd prefer a decent excuse to like him.

I continue thinking to myself as we walk down the corridor. My mind struggles to wrap my thoughts around each other, and I don't realise he's stopped. I walk right into him, and feel my face redden sufficiently. He pushes me away with one hand, and looks at me with a fierce anger that stabs at my soul. How can anyone make someone that mad? Well, generally you can't, unless it's Vaughn.

"You right there!" he growls out at me, making me shudder. He leans into a doorway as he unlocks a surprisingly thick, hardwood door. As it opens, I hear the sounds of different types of livestock. I peer inside to see a surprisingly large barn area filled with chickens, cows, sheep and horses. I step into the room, my face lit up with excitement and awe. I walk further in, and twirl around to see all of the animals.

The cows are exceptionally happy with full feeders. The sheep's wool feels exquisite under my touch. I feel myself unfurl with happiness. I turn to see Vaughn in the doorway; watching me. There's a softness to his eyes that I've never seen before. He looks relaxed and happy; if that's possible. He makes eye contact with me, and his lips twitch up slightly; almost unconsciously. He gestures at a little fence filled with little yellow fuzz balls. I coo uncontrollably, and I feel the cowboy smirk next to me.

He opens the gate for me, and I step in. I'm surrounded by chicks almost immediately, as I'm chirped and pecked at. I laugh uncontrollably, and sit down to examine them all up close. I feel his gaze on me, but I couldn't care less at the moment; I feel as if I'm in ecstasy.

I notice one lone chick pecking at the ground, and reach out for it. It jumps out of reach, and chirps at me. I giggle, and give chase. I chase it for a full five minutes before a pair of black, fingerless gloves picks it up, and strokes it tenderly. I stare at him as he radiates smugness.

"This the one you want?" he asks smugly. "'doubt it could handle your personality; it's so bright!" he continues in an amused voice. "Yeah, that's the one" I reply to the first question only. Who does he think he is to tell me what my personality's like; he barely knows me!

"Let's go show Mirabelle" he said confidently, while staring straight ahead. I stared into his eyes, and saw them flicker to mine. He immediately pulled his hat down to cover his face. I caught the slight blush before he hid it, but I felt myself sigh audibly in disappointment, earning another curious gaze from the cowboy next to me.

"Mirabelle! I chose my chick!" I called out to her as we entered the store front again. I smiled and cooed to my new chick as Vaughn placed it on the counter. Mirabelle walked in with several bags of grain and muttered something to Vaughn. I look to my chick again, and something crosses my mind, that didn't occur to me before.

"Mirabelle? Could you please teach me about chickens?" I asked her. She looked at me with a knowing glint in her eyes, and smiled slyly. "I would be happy to dear, but Vaughn knows a lot more about animals than me. He can teach you anyway while he's delivering the bird feed!" She said, grinning. She knows something; she would have to; to make Vaughn and I spend time together. Damn; she's good.

"Fine" Vaughn replies, nonchalantly. I look him in the eye again to find him staring right back. He holds my gaze for a minute before picking up the stacks of birdfeed, and opening the door. I barely have time to thank Mirabelle again before I run outside, chick in hand, to catch up with the eternally frustrating cowboy.


	4. The Awkwardness of Antisocial Cowboys

**Chapter 4- The Awkwardness of Antisocial Cowboys**

**Authors note** I'm sorry for the massive wait for such a small piece. School's been busy as with assessments and tests, and I've been up the wall on personal issues. Thanks for being so patient though! I'll try get another chapter up soon though!

**Disclaimer **I don't own harvest moon.

Chelsea

I feel so nervous! I have this fluttery feeling in my stomach as I run after him, but I feel so comfortable with him; like I can just be me. The fact that he's hot helps too, but it doesn't do much justice to his personality.

It feels weird spending any amount of time with the cowboy. As we walk out of Mirabelle's shop, I sneak a peek at him from the corner of my eye, only to find him staring at me intently. Yeah; that's not awkward at all, is it? He catches me looking at him, and he shifts his hat to cover his eyes. Is it just me, or did his cheeks flush a light pink...

"Hmph" He growls through his teeth. I realise that I was staring again, and snapped my head in the other direction. What is happening to me! We're not even halfway through town yet, and I can't keep my eyes off him.

"Uh..." I stutter out unconsciously. I feel my cheeks burning, as if I sense the glare coming from the unhospitable person beside me. "How...old are...you" I stutter uncontrollably. I hear him take a breath. Though it's not deep, I can tell the difference between a normal breath and this one. That's weird to the extremes!

I hear him sigh beside me, and draw in a breath. "I'm 24" he mutters. I silently gape at his response, and find myself on a totally engrossing thought track. _How can he only be 24? He's so mature, and his hair is so white; it's silver, so how could he possibly be so young?_ I mentally mutter to myself, not looking at the ground ahead of me. Now, being the klutz that I am at the worst of times, somehow manage to trip over a decently sized rock, and almost land head-first into a knee deep stream of mud. As I'm bracing for impact, I feel a gloved hand wrap around my waist, and pull me back. I'm not sure if it's his touch, or the fact that he saved me from falling that's causing my heart to stutter erratically in my chest.

As I steady myself from the almost-fall, I notice Vaughn's arm still curled around my waist. I feel my body flush with an intense heat, and massive butterflies roll around my stomach in clumps. I take a look out of the corner of my eyes, and see him staring at me with glassy eyes; emotions from hate to an unrecognisable desire burning deep inside, with flames of curiosity shining in his amethyst eyes.

I couldn't help but stare back into the endless purple depths of the man who refused to show any outer emotions; to stare into the window of hope that filled his eyes with ambitions and dreams. I was awestruck by the openness of it; so used to the closed off, shallow depths of his amethyst windows.

Vaughn

How'd I get into this position, really? Why haven't I let her go yet? It's idiotic to the point of madness, yet I can't say I'd rather be with anyone else. _Now you've done it Vaughn; you've broken your shell; your emotions are showing_. Oh crap. That's not a good thing…

Back to the topic; how _did_ I get into holding her like this? Oh yeah; it came from staring at her celestial orbs sparkling with happiness. Her face was perfect; the curve of her cheekbones, the tip of her nose; the healthy glow radiating from the very core of her being. It astounded me; left me breathless as I watched her stutter and flush. She was so absorbed in her words; she didn't even see the stone in front of her. It was like a natural instinct to grab her, and stop her from falling, but I didn't expect my arm to curve around her waist. _How tiny is she! I could wrap my whole arm around her, and lift her up if it came to it! Doesn't she eat or something?_

I was so wrapped in my thoughts, I didn't realise my arm was still holding her waist. I saw her flush deep red, and felt her heartbeat stutter through her body. Why though? Was it me, or had the adrenaline finally kicked in? The only thing I know is; girls are complicated.

I release her, and put some space between us. I feel my own face heating from the embarrassment. _Who is she to break through my mask; to make me blush-But it felt so right to be holding her… SNAP OUT OF IT VAUGHN! You can't think like that! You're not even friends with her, and you're thinking of how hot she is in a bikini… DAMN THAT HOT FARMER!_

Chelsea

I watch him flush as he puts some space between us. Did I really make him flush? It feels kind of weird that I could make him show his emotions in something as trivial as blushing.

I look up, and see that we've made it to my ranch. Vaughn stares at the fields, and looks at me in amazement. "Did you really do this; all on your own?" he asks; not sure whether or not it's true. "Sure did! I cleared the whole field but a few boulders and stumps, and planted all of those crops." I felt the pride in my voice as I talked. It wasn't so bad to talk to him, as long as there weren't any awkward moments like before.

"Yeah, well you should get someone to break those stumps and rocks; it's not good for image" he mumbled grumpily. The guts he took to say that didn't have long to live apparently. I felt my fist plunge into his waist. _That'll teach him for telling ME to care about the image of MY FARM._

He bent over from the force of it and wheezed. I heard my chick peeping, and bent down to check on it. It was running around my feet and stopping to peck occasionally. It was adorable! I tried to *peep* at it; to get its attention, but all I earned was a low chuckle from the cowboy. I didn't hear him rise, and didn't notice he was behind me until he grabbed my chick, and shoved it down my top.

"YOU ASS!" I yelled at him, as I tried to catch my chick before it fell. "Why'd you do that!?"

"Because you punched me in the gut." Right; like that's going to make it better. "Fine! Can you just tell me how to look after chickens, please!?" I'm not one for begging, but at this rate, we'd be arguing all day. "Okay; where's your chicken coop?" he asked. I watched him dust off his hands dramatically, as if he expected me not to have one. "Follow me" I replied.

I walked through the fields to the coop, and stopped at the door. Vaughn nudged me aside, and opened the door for me. "Ladies first" he snickered; trying not to chuckle. "Thanks" I said hastily. I stepped inside to look at the wooden design. There were two feeders, and the air felt cool against my skin.

"Chickens are the easiest animal to look after. Chicks eat half a bushel of feed, and chickens eat one bushel." He spoke professionally; as if he was reciting a text book. "Apart from that, just talk to them and cuddle them or whatever every day, and keep 'em happy." He finished. He looked at me expectantly, as if he expected to repeat himself.

"Thank you for coming up and teaching me; I really appreciate it." I said gratifyingly. I turned around, and got on my knees. My chick came running to me, and pecked at my fingers. I started giggling as I felt hay scratching my shirt as I rolled around the coop playing with my chick. I finally collapsed in a corner with the chick on my head when I finally noticed the cowboy staring at me from the door. I flashed a big smile, and watched him flush.

"What are you still doing here?" I asked him; ecstatic and flustered from my childish moment.

"I have no idea" he muttered under his breath, and walked out of the coop and off the ranch. Well, I better get ready for lunch with Nat and Julia…

"You're kidding me!" Screamed Julia from across Felicia's table. "He did not watch you playing with a chick in a stack of hay" giggled Natalie; eyes wide in wonder. "Yeah, and I had no idea what was up with him. It was sort of scary, but it felt comfortable to be with him like that." I told them, keeping my voice low.

"He totally likes you, Chels! He never talks or makes contact with anyone unless he has to, and suddenly you're his exception!" She yelled. I'm pretty sure you could hear her from the other side of the island; she was so loud. "Okay Julia! Keep it down!" Nat told her. I'm so glad I have one good friend who I can count on. "Fine girls, but this is BIG! Vaughn is finally opening up to the rest of the world!" Jules yelled. I wish she wasn't so blind sometimes, because right as she yelled it out to the world, a certain antisocial cowboy who apparently liked me so much walked into Taro's house at that very moment. I looked up into confused, angry eyes. It couldn't have been that loud, could it?

I looked over at Julia and Natalie, only to see them laughing their heads off under the table. I wonder how I didn't hear that before… Either way, I was in BIG trouble. "Uhhh…Hi Vaughn! What's up?" I asked nervously while twiddling my fingers. He narrowed his eyes at me, and stared hatefully at Julia. I watched her swallow her pride, and stand up. "Sorry guys; looks like it's I've got to go back to work!" she announced nervously. Vaughn lost all emotion from his features, and walked behind her out the door.

"What was THAT about?" Natalie asked. "I have no idea, Nat, but it doesn't look good for Julia. Do you think we should go save her from the Vaughn bandit?" I giggled. "Oh my goddess! That's an awesome nickname! As for Julia, I say we wait for an hour or two. It looks like she has to do some work anyway." Nat replied.

"What do you think of Pierre?" she asked me randomly. "He looks like a ten year old who hasn't hit puberty yet." I laughed. Nat can't seriously be interested in that little kid; can she? Either way, I'll have to tell her what the eyes of normal people see.

"No way! He's actually 22!" Nat scoffed. Leave it to her to take a big issue and turn it into an afterthought. "Fine then Nat; believe what you want; I'll put to a vote at dinner!" I proclaimed. I was feeling pretty proud of myself, until I realised I was going to have to save Julia. "Postpone the debate Nat; we're going to have to kidnap Julia!" I sighed. Why is the universe so adamant on an killing me?

"Yep! Looks like another excuse to see the cowboy!" She snickered, but agreed. How many times am I going to have to tell people; I don't like the guy!

3


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